Poetry by Marian Blue
Photography by Cherie Ude-Crowe
Poetry and photography explore the magic, humor, wonder, and joy we experience when we cherish Earth and all the habitats and inhabitants we find here. From clouds to Myakka soil and snakes to penguins, Blue and Ude-Crowe celebrate what’s right within us and our environment while they also explore how to improve our lives and experiences within nature. Leap into fact and possibility that reside around us. Discover more about our vital connections to Earth and how to have faith in the resilience of those connections. All ages will discover words and images to cherish in this superb collection of nature poems and photography.
This collection doesn’t shy away from controversial issues – climate change, pollution, invasive species, and more – but positive images for change and reasons for celebration also abound. This book is also a call to action to become aware of life’s vibrancy surrounding us as well as awareness of our involvement in that vibrancy. Humans are one of Earth’s creatures, an animal with the ability to improve live for all species. Wildlife and the many habitats creatures both need and help to sustain spark readers curiosity. This collection provide a leaping off place to explore and rejoice in all that the natural world has to offer.
Reviews
“Cherie Ude’s eye for composition, light, and subject is awe-inspiring. Ever stellar poet Marian Blue’s wit, wisdom, and well-honed skills build powerful poems, and in particular, their sonic structures are a thing of aural beauty.” –Malaika King Albrecht
“This is a wonderful collection that should woo a plethora of readers!” –Lois Edstrom
About authors:
Blue has lived in climates ranging from the dramatic chill within the shadow of Mt. Sopris, Colorado to the sunny warmth of the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean. She currently lives in the woods of Whidbey Island in the mossy and dark shadows of the northwest. In every environment, she’s found ways to interact with different species, playing host to deer, crows, wolves, and other wildlife as well as her own rescue/foster dogs, parrots, goats, ducks, and more. She’s always been grateful she had the opportunity to take the Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation skills seminar and receive extensive training through both Sound Water Stewards of Island County (formerly Beach Watchers) and Marine Mammal Stranding Network. She also attended the Forest Stewardship Program, Washington State Department of Natural Resources through Washington State University. She is a proud member of ILCW (International League of Conservation Writers). Blue began writing as a journalist in the 1970s and went on to publish and edit essays, fiction, and poetry in various magazines and books. She taught writing and literature in various locations, the most recent at Skagit Valley College, before retiring in 2016 and celebrating with a trip to the Galápagos Islands. More about her writing and books appears on the Sunbreak Press Web page, where you can also read her Conservation blog.
Ude has spent a lifetime with camera in hand as she has traveled. Many of her photos reflect Earth’s beauty and drama in places as diverse as Antarctica and Australia. She has also captured landscapes and the creatures who live there through North and South America, the Caribbean, and Europe. She has professionally designed Web pages for special events – such as weddings, festivals, and reunions – and photographed weddings, baby showers, and reunions. Ude’s work has appeared in books and magazines, including cover art, as well as on Web sites. See her images and learn more about her at Cherie Ude Photography on Facebook. She currently lives in New York on Long Island with her husband, John Crowe, and her gorgeous dog, Drummer.For more about Ude, visit her LinkedIn site.
Available in paperback or hardback anywhere books are sold.
ISBN 978-1732128798 or 978-1735709307